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Friday, June 28, 2013

I was hoping to enjoy some sunshine in Cebu last week but the rain seemed to follow me down south. Late afternoon rains got me craving for something hot. These were my snack-cum-dinner at Big Mao in Ayala---Japanese siomai and steaming hot Lomi.

Lomi is a hot, sticky soup made of egg noodles, a medley of veggies (carrots and cabbage), slivers of meat, shrimps and kikiam (a mixture of ground pork, shrimps and vegetables wrapped in bean curd wrapper), topped with fried garlic and slices of spring onions.

Anything warm and flavorful on a wet, rainy afternoon is a comfort food for me.

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Growing up in a place surrounded by trees and flowers, I miss having my own garden, which I never have in over 20 years of living in the city. So I was delighted when I got invited to this "weekend home" in Tagaytay.

Tagaytay is about 52 kilometers south of Manila, and its high altitude gives the place a cooler climate.

The city is lush---flowers and fruits are everywhere.

It was about a two-and-a-half-hour drive---the long and winding road brought us to a house at the end of a dirt road in the middle of a pineapple plantation.

This chair was calling my name!

I love the verdant foliage and cozy nooks surrounded by flowering vines.
Anthuriums graced the pathways around the garden.
Various species of orchids and other tropical flowers filled the property.

The garden set provides a casual yet intimate space for new friends to get to know each other.

Tucked behind the cascading white and purple Angel's Trumpet vine is another set of garden table and stools.

A retired wooden cart sits in the garden surrounded by orchids and bougainvilleas.

Monday, June 10, 2013

I had an opportunity to visit Monasterio de Tarlac recently, and the road trip was a pleasant surprise. I've been passing through Tarlac for years---all roads going to northern Luzon pass through Tarlac, and I had an impression that the whole province is flat. So I was amazed that on the way to the Monasterio de Tarlac in San Jose town, we passed mountain ranges and dense forests. The monastery sits on top of the mountain, 300 meters above sea level within the eco-tourism park. This province is landlocked and located in the heart of Central Luzon, about 125 kilometers northeast of Metro Manila.

We were greeted by this imposing 30-foot statue of the Risen Christ, reminiscent of the Christ the Redeemer statue in Brazil. The statue, perched on the edge of the slope, was built in 2002---2 years after the monastery was constructed.

The Servants of the Risen Christ Monastic Community is under the diocese of Tarlac. It is an apostolic-contemplative community of religious men who consecrated themselves to a life of prayer and work. There are also groups of women (nuns) congregation here, the Handmaids, the Oblates and the Contemplatives of the Risen Christ who are taking care of orphans and abandoned children, they also teach catechism in schools and parishes.

This is the chapel that serves as a relinquary house of the Relic of the Holy Cross of Jesus Christ. The relic was given to Father Archie, the priest who started this monastery, by the former custodian of the relic, a priest in Essen, Germany. The relic, the only one in Asia, was brought here in 2005.

A shame I wasn't able to see it---one of the staff told me that taking a photo of the relic is not allowed. There was also a mass in the chapel so I didn't insist on seeing the relic.

Monasterio de Tarlac receives 600 to 800 visitors a week. It's about 3 hours from Manila by car.

This mini castle is said to be the home of one of the priests. Almost lost my footing here---and it was a long way down. Imagine the epitaph on that one!:p

Friday, June 7, 2013

When we look up, it widens our horizons. We see what a little speck we are in the universe, so insignificant, and we all take ourselves so seriously, but in the sky, there are no boundaries. No differences of caste or religion or race. ~ Julia Gregson

Monday, June 3, 2013

Visited the historic San Sebastian Cathedral in Tarlac City on Saturday, and these flowers adorned the aisle and altar of the church. The flowers were for a wedding ceremony held here on Saturday morning. Will post more about this church in the next few days.:p

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From the Man in the Moon:

“The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference.” ~ Elie Wiesel